Violet Jean Cribbs

Violet was born on September 15, 1931 in Wheaton, Illinois.

High School Years:

Violet graduated from Bronson Community High School (Bronson, Michigan) in 1949 at the age of 17. Their class motto was, “Today we follow; tomorrow we lead!” Violet would prove to be a leader for future generations.

She played the saxophone in the High School Band and Pep Band, sang first soprano in the Double Sextette and Choir, was President of her Junior Class, and was co-editor (society editor) of “High Times.” She played “Ma Smith” in her Junior play and “Miss Nugent” in her Senior play, was a member of the Home Ec. Club and 4H Sewing. She journaled that a couple of highlights included a trip to Seattle to see Percy Jones and their senior trip to Niagara Falls which included a Great Lakes trip aboard the U.S.S. Noronic. The points of interest included Sarnia, Canada and Mackinac Island.

The local newspaper said of her double sextette group, “Without hearing these young singers it would be hard to believe that a group of high school students could perform the way these 12 people do. Besides having excellent voices, their expression and timing are near perfect. Their renditions of ‘Little Petunia In An Onion Patch’ and ‘Country Style’ were especially outstanding. When the singers left the room the hearty applause of their audience followed them out of sight. The double sextette is composed of Nathaline Kinter, Joan Bawden, Violet Major, Joan Hunsicker, Rita Geiger, Marion Bogart, Melvin Larimer, Dale Slisher, Bill Austin, Doyle Hoopingarner, Russell Niles and Richard Robbins.”

Her favorite sports were swimming, ice skating and driving “Bessie,” the family car.

Violet sang a duet with Joyce Bucklin at her senior graduation.

College Years:

After high school her family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where Violet attended Manchester College (North Manchester, Indiana). She graduated from Manchester with a Bachelor of Science in 1953. While at Manchester, she participated in FTA (Future Teachers of America) and Varsity Band. She was awarded a school letter in Band for the 1950-51 school year. The Pep band’s motto was “We add a sparkle to ball games and try to carry our pep with us everywhere.” Without question, Violet carried her sparkle and pep well into her 90s.

Teaching:

After Manchester, Violet spent one year teaching in Huntington, Indiana, and another year near Cincinnati. She then headed for California to work in the educational research department at the University of California, Berkeley.

Her love of teaching brought her recognition when she received the Governor’s Award of Excellence (1985) in teaching Language Arts, and a nomination for the Colorado Teacher Awards program. She taught in Adams County from 8-31-59 to 7-6-87. She was very proud that one of her Drama students, Jerry Webb, was among the very first to join the cast at the Denver Center for Performing Arts. In her 26th year of teaching, Iamma Black wrote these words to capture Violet’s character: “Vi Cribbs is that rare breed of educator who teaches with the same zest and delight as, I believe, she did twenty-six years ago as a first year teacher. Those fortunate to have journeyed with her, will in time take paths of their own abundant with the gifts she has given.” Violet embraced hurting kids from broken homes and lifted them up. She transformed some hurting and rebellious teenagers into curious and thriving learners. She created an in-house publishing company which produced a cookbook of family recipes from her students. One particular recipe (Mexican Chicken Casserole) was enjoyed by Vi’s family on many special occasions. Problem solving with her “gifted and talented” group was the last class that she taught.

Family:

After three children (Chip Doll, Michael Doll, Laura Doll) and a divorce, she came to Denver in 1958 and began a 27-year teaching career with Kearny Middle School in Adams County, District 14. She taught Language Arts, Speech and Drama, sometimes journalism, sometimes choral music, plus the “gifted and talented” program.

In 1963, Violet married Arvil Lee Cribbs and had Merrilynn Cribbs in 1965. And then there were six. Vi and Lee were together for many adventures until his passing on Valentine’s Day, 2005.

Travel:

Vacations were spent exploring the Southwest, climbing cliffs to photograph ancient petroglyphs for communications classes, and boat camping on Lake Powell. Vi noted in a teacher’s workbook which asked, “If you knew you would be struck by lightning and die in six months, how would you spend your time between now and then?” Her answer, “traveling or living on a houseboat on Lake Powell exploring the inland waterways.” Vi and Lee had a timeshare for several years, so they always had a place to spend the summers: Hawaii, Chandler Arizona, New Orleans, Acapulco and more. Road trips to Lake Powell, Flaming Gorge, the Grand Canyon, and Bode Lake were among their favorites. There was even that trip to Lake Meredith Reservoir in Ordway, CO when Vi’s sister-in-law (who was deathly afraid of water) threw off her life jacket once they realized the boat was only in knee-deep water!

Clowning Years:

In the 70’s, Violet was “Bumblestum” in a clown troupe called the “New Arvada Joy Company,” and was so enamored with clowning that she even auditioned for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. Vi just wanted to tell her clown troupe at school (yes, she formed a clown troupe at Kearney) about the experience, but she made the front page picture of the Denver Post. Clowning took Violet (and her daughter, who she had roped into the clowning world) to performances in Larimer Square, children’s hospitals, community events and the first world games at the 1977 Special Olympics in Steamboat Springs (organized by Eunice Kennedy Shriver). Violet and Merri were pictured in the “Colorado and the West” magazine (July-August 1978 issue) along with other troupe members after performing in Larimer Square. Those clowning days secured life-long friendships with new friends who pursued similar interests.

Retirement:

Violet was fun and creative, so retirement didn’t slow her down. She said it seemed busier than working; keeping up with hobbies, house and garden, husband, volunteering, and so many things to do in Denver. Hobbies and collections galore - they kept her busy and happy. She was a quilter, making so many quilts over the years, that many family members have at least one. Her quilting led her to other quilters and they formed the “Seven Sisters Quilting Group.” Several of Vi’s quilts were on display, hanging in the Denver State Capitol’s rotunda for nine weeks during their quilt show (“Little Red School House,” her “Yo-yo quilt,” and more). She was a long-time member and contributor to the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum (https://www.rmqm.org/) in Golden, CO and was featured in the March/April 2003 edition of Quiltmaker magazine for her Railroad Ties quilt design. Violet was fun and creative. She made teddy bears and things for the shops to sell at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, Foothills Art Museum and Lutheran Ladies’ Auxiliary tea room. She volunteered as a docent at the quilt museum. She crocheted afghans, did needle point, crocheted and quilted ornaments, made “bonnet girl” quilted greeting cards, ornament wreaths, pressed flower projects, wrote plays (for school), made washi paper eggs, and so much more. She had an artist’s eye for color and pattern combinations and experimented with new patterns. She was talented beyond measure.

Also in retirement, she started her own local Red Hat Society chapter (and was “Queen Vee”), which introduced her to amazing new experiences, including a Mexican Rivera cruise with fellow red (and pink) hatters in 2005. She also joined the national group for a New Year’s trip to London. She explored Bath and Stonehenge during that trip. And met a prominent London leader. The group had its own double-decker bus in the New Year’s Day parade – a throng of ladies in purple and red waving to everyone.

She retained her sense of humor throughout life’s challenges, she was creative, she was supportive, she was a deep thinker, she was an extroverted socialite. She cared about her kids, both at home and in the classroom. She tried new things. She embraced life. Violet was the matriarch of her family and the glue that held them together - she will be greatly missed, never forgotten, always loved, celebrated and remembered.

Violet is preceded by in death by her parents Emily (Mertz) and Lawrence Major, her husband of 42 years, Arvil Lee Cribbs, her granddaughter Lindsey Kay Creason, her sister-in-law Judy Heffernan Major (Larry), her sister-in-law Flossie Potts, her brother-in-law Charlie Potts, and many life-long friends. She is survived by her four children, Charles “Chip” Doll of Aurora, Colorado, Michael Doll of Milltown, Wisconsin, Laura Doll Jenkins (Robert) of Reno, Nevada, Merrilynn Cribbs Taylor of Arvada, Colorado, her brother Larry Major of Littleton, Colorado, and sister Carol Major Coon (Robert) of El Cerrito, California. She was grandmother to seven, great-grandmother to six, and great-great grandmother to four children, and aunt to many nephews and nieces.

Memorial Service(s):

All of those she loved and touched deeply - please join us in celebrating her life on Saturday, October 22, 2022, at 9:30 am in the Pavilion at Crown Hill Cemetery (7777 West 29th Ave, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033).

The Interment will follow at Crown Hill Tower of Memories.

There will also be another service to intern Violet with her husband, Lee, at Arvada Cemetery (5581 Independence St, Arvada, CO 80002) on Friday, October 21, 2022 at 2:30pm.

Please join us in honoring Violet at one or both services. There will be a bagpiper at the Friday service and a pianist/soloist at the Saturday service. A reception will follow the 10/22 service at a local restaurant.

If you wish to donate in her memory, Violet would be delighted if you would consider giving to the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, The Denver Center for Performing Arts, a local theater company that’s important to you, or any other charity in her name. Manchester College, the Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity were also worthy causes that were important to Violet.